Container



March 30, 1 937. c; B. KILMER CONTAINER Filed A ug. "s, 1936 Patented Mar.` 30, 1937 UNITED STATES/PATENT OFFICE CONTAINER Charles B. Kilmer, River Forest, Ill., asslgnor to Container Corporation of America, Chicago, Ill., a. corporation of Delaware Application August 3, 1936, Serial No. 94,050

` s claims. (ci. 229-43) The present invention relates to shipping containers and more particularly to a returnable type of container for the transportation of bottled goods and the like.

5 One object of theinvention is to A'provide a double-cover, reinforced container of a simple, sturdy form adapted to withstand the relatively hard usage imposed thereon by the handling of bottled beverages so as to enable the container to 10 be re-used a large number of times. A

Another object of the invention is to provide retaining means for the closure members to pre- 4 vent separation thereof regardless of the manner in which the container is lifted.

a strong end wall construction having a rein' forcement as a. part thereof which is formed so as to provide means for assisting in maintaining the closure panels in place on the container.

Other objects of the invention will be made apparent as the description proceeds. In the drawing: Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view, illustrating one end of a container made in accord- 25 ance with the present invention, the other end not shown being identical;

Fig. 2 is a'fragmentary detail sectional .view taken along line 2--2 of Fig. 1 with the cover in l closed position; 30 Fig. 3 is a detail view of the flange member;

Fig. 4 is a view of the mainbody blank; and Fig. 5 is a View of the end wall blank with a reinforcing member secured thereon.

The present invention, as herein disclosed, provides a double-cover, returnable container with end walls provided with hand openings for convenience of carrying the container, the end walls being preferably reinforced by a. construction 40 which also serves to assist in retaining the closure members in proper position on the container.

Referring to drawing, the container as a whole is indicated at 5. the blanks for which are illusconnecting a body blank 6 and two end blanks 1. The material of the blanks is preferably solid nbre board.

The body blank 6 comprises a bottom panel l,

side panels 9, 9,' and cover panels I 0, IU. The end 5 blanks 1 are preferably secured to the may blanks by providing attaching ilaps Il, II on the ends'of the bottom panel and flaps I2, I2 on the ends of the side panels, l.

The cover panels II), I are provided with downare formed at each end respectively of the cover panels, and flaps I4, Il are formed along the longitudinal edges of each cover panel. The flap I4 carries an extension I which may be folded back and secured to the rear face of the flap I4 to provide a reinforced flange on the 'closure panels along the meeting edges thereof.

-In order to accommodate the end walls, th flange It and flap I5 on each cover panel I0 are' cut to such a length as to fit within the confines of the end walls. When the end anges I3, I3 and longitudinal ange I4 on the cover panels are in a position at right-angles to the plane of the cover a space, indicated at I6, will be leftbetween the end of the flange I4 and ange I3, this space being preferably of such .a size as to closely receive vthe end wall when the cover is in closed position.

For the purpose of retaining the end flanges and longitudinal flanges in right-angular relationship to the cover panels there is provided at each corner of the cover panels a retaining meniber I'I which, in the present instance, comprises an open wire frame having a rectangular portion formed by legs I8, I9, 20 and 2I, and an extended portion 22 parallel with the leg I8 formed on the end of leg 2| which is somewhat longer than the Ileg I1. AThe rectangular portion of the frame I1 is secured to the flange Il by folding the extension I5 over and inserting the frame I1 between the folds thus formed. The flange extension Il is then secured to the flange I5 by seeming means such as staples, this serving to firmly engage thel frame 1I'I with the flange I4. It is to be noted that the leg 2l of the frame Il is disposed against the inner surface of the cover panel I0.

'I'he leg 22 of the frame Il is secured to the flange I 3 in the present instance by providing upon the flange I3 and securingit in place by means of staples or similar securing means.V The flap 23 also serves to reinforce theflange I3.

With the flanges 'I3 and I4 secured in the manner just described it is to be noted that v there is a space between the flange I3 and the end of flange I4, this space being suillcient to accommodate the end wall of the container. The

space between the legs 22 and I8 is preferably such that after the flap extension is brought around the legy 22 the space between the surface of this flap extension and the leg I8 is substan- Y`tially equal to the thickness of the material of the endwall. Thus it is not in all cases neces- N turned flanges and for this purpose. flaps I8, Il sary for the flange Il itself to extend into ilrm 56 contact with the end wall of the box. It is desirable, however, for the leg portion I8 to contact the end wall. When the frame I1 is in place between the flange I4 and its ilap I5 the leg I8 will, in effect, be a part of the flange and reference to the flange when made herein isto be understood to include as a part thereof the exposed portion of leg I8 in the event the parts I4 and I5 do not extend to or beyond the leg I8.

Means are preferably provided on the inner surface of the end walls of the container for retaining the cover members from lateral shifting with respect to the body portion. For this purpose abutments are provided on the end wall which engage laterally against the longitudinal flanges formed by the flange portion 'I4 and the extension I5 thereon. In the event these longitudinal flange portions do not extend into contact with the innerv surface of the end walls the abutments will bear laterally against the exposed legs I8, I8 of the securing member I1. In order to conveniently provide these abutments there is preferably secured to the end wall a reinforcing member 25 having a centrally disposed slot or cut-out portion 26 formed therein the sides of which form abutments 21, 21 which, as previously stated, engage laterally against the end portions of the longitudinal flanges or the exposed ends of the legs I8 which, as previously stated, are to be considered as part of the longitudinal flanges.

The end wall is in the present instance provided with a hand opening 28 for convenience in carrying the containen When this hand opening is employed, it is preferred to have the reinforcing member 25 of such a width as to come into substantial registration with the upper edge of the opening, thus providing an extra thickness ofmaterial at this point to afford a lifting surface more comfortable to the hands.

In the operation of forming the container, a preferred method is to i'lrst attach the end walls to the body blank by stapling the attaching flaps Il and I2 to the marginal edges of the end walls, as indicated in Fig. l. The staples adjacent the upper edge of the end walls may be left out until the reinforcing strip is in place.

The next step in the operation of forming th container is to fold back the flaps 23 around the leg portions 22 of the ilangeconnecting members I1 and then staple the flaps 23 to the respective flanges It. The next step is to fold upwardly the flange portions i4 to a right-angular relationship to the cover Iil and then fold the flap I5 down against the flange portion 'I8, at the same time enclosing the main portion of frame I1 between the portions i4 and I5. The flap I5 is then stapled to the flange portion It, care being taken to pass certain of the staples through the frame member I1, as indicated in the upper left hand corner of Fig. 1. The frame :I1 will then be'securely held in place and will serve effectively to retain the longitudinal flanges and end flanges of the cover in substantially rightangular relationship with respect thereto.

When the cover sections are in closed position the ends of the longitudinal cover flanges will bear against the abutment surfaces 21, 21 to prevent outward spreading of the cover sections and to maintain the longitudinal flanges of the cover sectio'ns in contact with each other.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, certain changes may be made in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention,

and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

I clairn:

1. A shipping container comprising abottom, side walls, and end walls, cover panels hinged to the side walls and having their longitudinal'free edges substantially meeting centrally of the container, flanges at the ends and along the longitudinal edge of each cover panel, said flanges being spaced from each other at the meeting corners of the cover panels whereby the end flanges, with the cover sections closed, are disposed on the outside of the container and the longitudinal flanges lie within the container, a relatively rigid connecting member for joining the longitudinal flanges andend flanges at the corners of each cover member, said connecting members being in the form of an open frame having a member projecting therefrom arranged to be secured to the end flange of the cover, means for securing said part of the frame to the end flange, means for securing another part of the frame to the longitudinal flange, said frame having a part arranged at the end of the longitudinal flange so `as to be positioned adjacent the inner surface of the end wall, a reinforcing membersecured on the inner surface of the end wall at each end of the container, said reinforcing member being provided with a notch disposed centrally1 of the container end walls, said last-mentioned part of the frame which contacts the inner surfaces of the end walls being adapted to enter the respective notches in said reinforcing membersto retain the longitudinal flanges of the cover member in closely abutted relation and thereby prevent spreading of the side walls of the container.

2. A shipping container comprising a bottom, side walls and end walls, cover panels hinged to the side walls and having'their longitudinal free edges substantially meeting centrally of the container, flanges at the ends and along the longitudinal edge of each cover panel, said flanges being spaced from each other at the meeting corners of the cover panels whereby slots are pro vided into which the end walls are adapted to ilt, a relatively rigid frame-like connecting member at the corner of each cover panel adapted to connect the end ilanges with the adjacent longitudinal flange to retain said flanges in right-angular relationship with the cover panel, means on each end flange for securing said frame-like connecting member thereto, one portion of the connecting member being disposed to lie along the inside surface of the end wall, a reinforcing member disposed centrally on the inside surface of the end wall, said reinforcing member having a notch formed centrally therein, said notch being adapted to receive the projecting ends of the frame-like connecting member and retain same against outward movement whereby the cover panels are maintained in fixed position on the container. A

' 3. A shipping container comprising a bottom, side walls and end walls, cover panels hinged to the sidewalls and substantially meeting centrally of the container, flanges along the ends and longitudinal edges of the cover panels, the ends of the longitudinal flanges terminating to lie within the confines ofthe end walls and the end flanges being adapted to lie on the outside of the end walls whereby a space between the flanges at the corners of the cover will be provided to receive the end wall, means for maintaining the anges in substantially right-angular relationship to the plane of their respective cover panels, whereby l corners of the cover will the end wall, means for maintaining the anges in substantially right-angular relationship to the spreading of the plane of their respective cover panelaabutment members onthe inner faces of the end walls adapted to bear laterally against the adjacent ends of the longitudinal flanges and cause said flanges to be maintained in rm contact when the cover panelsv are closed whereby spreading apart of the cover panels with a consequent side walls will be prevented.' I 5. A shipping container comprising a bottom, side walls, and end walls, cover panels hinged to the side walls and having their longitudinal free 'edges substantially tudinal edge of each cover panel, said flanges being spaced from each other at the meeting corners of the cover panelswhereby slots are' provided into which the end walls are adapted to be received, means for retaining the end flanges andof the cover panels, the ends of be provided to receive meeting centrally of the con-I tainer, flanges at theends and along the longil the longitudinal flangesin right-angular relationship with the plane of the cover panel, a reinforcing member disposed centrally on the inside surface of the end wall, said reinforcing member having vertical abutments thereon adapted to contact laterally the ends of the adjacent longitudinal cover flanges and retain them from outward movement to thereby maintain the cover panels in fixed position on the container.

6. A shipping 'container comprising a bottom, side walls, and end walls, cover panels hinged to the side walls and having their longitudinal free edges substantially meeting centrally ofthe container, flanges at the ends and along the longitudinal edge of each cover panel, said flanges being spaced from each other at the meeting corners of the cover panels whereby slots are provided into which the end walls are adapted to be received, means for retaining the end flanges and the longitudinal flanges in right-angular relationship with the plane of the cover panel, a reinforcing member disposed centrally on the inside surface of the end wall, said reinforcingI member 'having vertical abutments thereon adapted to contact laterally the ends of the adjacent longitudinal cover flanges and retain them from outward movement to panels i'n fixed position on walls being formed with a finger opening spaced from the top of the end walls,and said reinforc' ing member being so proportioned that its lower edge registers with the upper edge of the finger opening whereby a relativelybroad lifting surface will be provided. A

CHARLES B. KILMER.

thereby maintain the coverl the container, the end 

